The bipartisanship bug has infected the Washington-area congressional delegation, as local lawmakers are scrambling to find seatmates from across the aisle for Tuesday night's State of the Union address.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) has ordered U.S. and Virginia flags be flown at half-staff at all local, state and federal buildings in the state in honor of the victim's in Saturday's deadly shooting in Arizona. Flags will remain lowered until sunset Friday pursuant to President Obama's proclamation. "The Governor is deeply saddened by the news coming from Arizona,'' McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said. "His thoughts and prayers are with the Congresswoman, her staff, the other victims, and all their friends and families." Meanwhile, statements from Virginia officials keep pouring. See below for a sampling:...

Is incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) a friend of Orly Taitz, the dentist and lawyer who has become a leading figure in the "birther" movement questioning whether President Obama was born in the U.S.? Yes and no.

Possible Republican candidates for U.S. Senate will be duking it out next week in that traditional way for Virginia politicians two long years before an election arrives...through competing hospitality suites at the annual Republican Advance. Former Governor and Senator George Allen, who is weighing a run for the job in 2012, will be hosting a suite during the annual gathering of Republican politicians and activists. So too will Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart, who is also considering a run. And Del. Bob Marshall, who's also acknowledged he's thinking about the seat, will be sharing a suite with former Loudoun Del. Dick Black. Black has said he's running for the state Senate next year. Hosting a suite at the Advance has long been a way for Republicans to signal their intention to run for big offices, not to mention hob-nob with their fellow party members....